Pokemon: Courage
by mathwiz617
Summary: Eighteen years after Ganon's defeat, seventeen after the Hero of Time's disappearance, and ten after Zelda's death, a new pair of heros rise; a new Link, and a new Zelda. At age ten, they receive their pokemon companions, and set out on an adventure. However, much more is at stake than what they expect.
1. Chapter 1

Darkness. Dread. Evil. These feelings had plagued Link's nightmares for Goddesses-knew-how-long. This night was no different. Every night, he had a nightmare of a strange man, with dark skin and red hair, rising from the west; eight large, shadowy pokémon stood behind him. Every night, this man steadily snuffed out the light around him, until naught was left but a dim red glow in his eyes. Link could do nothing but watch as this darkness spread across the kingdom of Hyrule. He had to watch, helpless, until the time he awoke.

-o-

"Link, it's time to get up!" the castle smith shouted. "It's your tenth birthday, and we have a visitor!"

That shout from his grandfather's forge was all it took to get Link on his feet, fully awake. As he shook off the lingering nightmare, he thought ahead to what was to come. Every child in Hyrule knew what their tenth birthday held in store: a chance to meet their first pokémon companion. It was said that the pokémon chose the child, not the other way around, and that that pokémon was a sign of destiny, large or small. For example, many knights had bonded with strong defensive pokémon, like Pineco or Ferroseed.

As he walked down the stairs, Link wondered what pokémon he would get. He hoped it wouldn't be anything weird, like a Mime Jr, or a Dunsparce. Looking into the forge, he was surprised to see, not a pokémon, but a person waiting for him.

"That took a while," Princess Zelda said, with a smile on her face. "Come on, Link, we're wanted in the Grand Hall."

That was a surprise. Zelda and Link were good friends, all the way back to the day they were born, but Link never expected that he would have the honor of meeting his pokémon by her side. He had thought he would have a small, unofficial celebration of his own, then attending Zelda's ceremony. As the son of a knight, born on the same day as the princess, Link had always been treated with a moderate amount of respect by Hylian royalty and the various important trainers that served underneath them.

"Well, Link, you'd better be on your way," his grandfather said, gently pushing him towards the door. "His Majesty pulled a few strings so this could happen, you wouldn't want to disappoint him. Gurdurr and I will tend the forge." The mentioned pokémon grunted from beside the anvil.

Link followed Zelda out of the forge and through the castle's hallways. He was sure that it was her idea to have them do this together. Yes, the King thought highly of Link, but not _that_ highly.

"So, from what I've heard," Zelda explained, "all the breeders brought a few of their best stock in hopes of me choosing one of them. I hope nobody gets offended if I don't choose theirs."

"That is not your worry today, Your Highness," came a voice from behind them. "What you should be worrying about is what you do tomorrow. You know your father will want you to stay in the castle."

"I know, Impa," Zelda responded, without turning around. It was pretty obvious who it was; only the Sheikah caretaker was stealthy enough to follow the two of them silently. "You know, however, that I want to get out and explore the kingdom. If I am to lead in the future, I must know more about my people than what is gifted to me."

"That's true," Impa conceded. She quickly passed the kids and opened the door to the Grand Hall. The assembled crowd stood silent as Zelda strode in, Link walking behind her as if he were a guard already.

There were easily a hundred hyruleans. Fifty pokémon were in pens, all trying to catch the children's attention. On the throne sat the king, his Tyrantrum by his side. Five of the six sages flanked them, three on each side once Impa took her place. Each sage was revered, for they had played a role in sealing away a terrible evil not even twenty years prior.

The hero, Link's namesake, had disappeared after the great battle for Hyrule. Not long after, pokémon started appearing throughout the kingdom, and human trainers from other regions quickly followed. It was from these humans that hyruleans learned the art of raising pokémon… after some misunderstandings between the trainers and some gorons. Hyrule had since adopted much of the world's customs, such as a limit on the number of pokémon one could carry with them.

"My dearest Zelda, and Link, too, happy birthday," the king said, his voice reverberating across the room. "As is customary, today you shall choose your first pokémon." He motioned to the pens. "Choose wisely, as this pokémon will be by your side for the rest of your life."

Link motioned to Zelda to go ahead. Ladies first, after all. The princess carefully walked past each pen, looking over each pokémon with a critical eye. She eventually came to the last pen, which held two Ralts from Kalos. The visiting human had only the two, but looked rather proud as Zelda stopped in front of him.

"Your highness," the breeder said, "these two are my pride and joy. Their eggs were found in the possession of none other than Champion Diantha's Gardevoir. They have measured highly in every category you could possibly think of."

Zelda did not respond, instead bending ever so slightly to get a closer look. One of the two shuffled closer, reaching its arm through a gap in the side of the pen. Link, in the meantime, had gone through the same process, evaluating each available pokémon, and none stood out to him.

He stood by Zelda's side as she touched the Ralts' arm. Nothing seemed to happen, at least to the casual observer, but Link knew his friend better than that. He saw a spark in her eye, and knew immediately she had made her choice.

"You say these two are siblings?" Zelda asked the breeder.

"As far as we can tell, yes," he responded. "That one is female, and the other is male."

She turned to Link, who knew what she was going to say before she opened her mouth. He nodded, unable to disappoint her. These siblings would not be parted. He gently picked up the male, who seemed to be excited to be chosen. The Ralts gently cooed, causing Link to smile. Zelda picked hers up too, and it reached out and touched her nose.

"Heh, she's so cute," she gushed. "We'll take these two, please."

"Of course," the human said. He bowed to Zelda, then turned and bowed to the king.

"Well, with that done, I think it's time for a feast!" Darunia said from beside the king.

-o-

The feast was short but filling. Besides the rock sirloin, Link had tried a bit of everything. As he sat in his chair beside Zelda, he thought of the future. Most kids his age were pretty much obligated to go on an adventure around Hyrule, raising their pokémon. He wanted to go to the Kokiri forest, and perhaps see the home that the hero lived in.

Zelda leaned over to him. "Meet me once the sun goes down. I'll be in the gardens." Link nodded, familiar with Zelda's mischievous streak. There had been multiple times when they had sneaked out of their rooms to wander around the castle. Frequently, Impa joined them, willing to put up with their shenanigans as long as they stayed safe.

Still, he couldn't help but feel that tonight would be different.


	2. Chapter 2

"You're late," Zelda said flatly. It was nearly midnight when Link reached the garden, and she had apparently been waiting for quite a while. She was wearing a smaller version of Impa's outfit, the traditional Sheikah attire. "Did you at least bring your Ralts?"

Link nodded, holding up the pokeball that held his new companion. "Sorry it took so long, this tunic is harder to put on than it looks."

Zelda laughed. When she noticed Link's disapproving stare, she calmed down again, and explained, "I can't believe you're still so shy that you only talk to me. I mean, Impa and I are the only ones to ever hear you talk."

"That's a choice," Link said, pouting a bit. "Not so much with Impa, really." He looked around, but couldn't see the Sheikah.

"She's preparing to talk with my father," Zelda said. "I wanted her to see us out, but she said it's important for us to start our adventure ourselves." She placed her hand on a rock. "Help me move this. It's hiding a secret passageway."

Link pushed on the rock, surprised by how easily it shifted. He knew that he was stronger than the average ten-year-old, due to his time at the forge, but it was a large rock. He looked over at Zelda, who was wrapping her head in bandages.

"I can't have the townsfolk recognize me," she said, noticing his inquisitive look. "For now, you can call me Sheik, and my Ralts is Tatl."

"Ok, then," Link agreed. "I'll call my Ralts Tael."

"Sounds fine to me." She motioned to the now-uncovered hole in the castle wall. "Well, age before beauty."

Link rolled his eyes. "I'm only two hours older than you." Still, he crawled through the passage first. It lead them under the wall, all the way out to the Temple of Time.

The temple, while still in good shape, had seen very little use in the past decade, ever since Queen Zelda had died. People avoided it for many reasons, most due to respect, both for the incredible destructive force pokémon had, as well as for the history of the place itself.

"So, this is where the Triforce resided, right?" Link asked once Zelda emerged from the tunnel behind him.

"Close, but not quite," Zelda corrected him. "This was the passage to the Sacred Realm." She looked past the altar, deeper into the temple. "It seems the Hero of Time left the key in the lock, too. Do you see the master sword?"

Link looked, and sure enough, there it was. The sword that most assumed was a relic of times past was still seated in its pedestal, awaiting a new hero who would use it to battle evil. Laying against the sword was another relic from the hero's time: the mirror shield.

Both children stood silent for a moment, then turned towards the door. To their surprise, someone was there waiting for them.

"So, you decided to journey together, hmm?" Raru asked. "A brave choice, young ones." The sage of light frowned. "You don't know a thing about pokémon battles, do you?" When both kids shook their heads, he sighed. "I thought not. I should teach you the basics before you leave. Let your pokémon out." Link and Zelda followed his instruction, and Raru called out two pokémon of his own.

"This is Machop," he said, pointing to one, "and this is Croagunk," pointing to the other. The purple frog-like pokémon shuddered. "I will not let you pass until your pokémon defeat them. Trust your instincts, and those of your companions."

Zelda responded first. "Tatl, attack Machop, like you did that hedge earlier," she ordered. A small orb of psychic energy shot out from the horns on the pokémon's head, slamming into Machop, who started to flail its arms around.

"Um… Tael, do that same thing, but to Croagunk," Link said, not understanding just what was happening. Nevertheless, Tael waved his arms around, summoned the ball of energy, and nailed Croagunk. Raru's pokemon fell down immediately.

"Very good," the sage praised them, "but now it's my turn. Machop, use Low Kick." Machop ran at Tatl, but tripped over its own feet and slammed face-first into the floor. It didn't get back up, so Raru recalled both his pokémon.

"Well, that was a good introduction to battles," Raru said. "However, I intentionally chose pokemon that would be weak to yours. Future trainers will not be so kind." He looked at the pair of Ralts. "The move those two used is called 'Confusion', and you saw its effect on Machop. Pokémon may be confused by certain moves and hurt themselves in battle."

"Will your pokémon be alright?" Zelda asked, concerned.

"Of course," the sage said, laughing. "They have merely fainted. The professor at Lake Hylia will be able to revive them. In a pinch, red or blue potions will do." He thought for a minute, then added, "Why don't you take them, at least to the professor? He actually owns them, I simply borrowed the pair. Besides, he should be able to help you on your journey."

Link and Zelda took the pokeballs from Raru. "Thank you, wise one." Zelda said, Link nodding his agreement.

Raru stood aside. "Good luck, children. Do not forget that you can rely on each other, as well as your pokémon."

As they recalled their pokemon and left the temple, Link thought he heard the sage mutter, "We're counting on you."


	3. Chapter 3

The trip through the sleeping Castle Town was uneventful, and the pair quickly reached the moat. The drawbridge, as usual, was down so that wandering trainers could make their way into town at night. That hadn't always been the case, but once stalchildren stopped unearthing themselves thirteen years ago, Hyrule Field was just as safe as the town.

The only person that paid Link and Zelda any mind was the guard by the gatehouse. All he gave them was a passing glance, just enough to see the green tunic and Sheikah garb, before he let them through. Security wasn't normally this relaxed, but it was obvious they were from the castle, so the guard must have thought they were on official business. Or, perhaps, Impa had alerted him of their travels; either one was equally possible.

As they crossed the bridge, Link looked over the side. He saw shadows of pokémon in the water, and was tempted to jump in the moat and battle them.

Zelda saw this, and said, "That wouldn't be a good idea. Those are Carvanha down there, if I remember correctly." Link hurriedly jumped back from the edge of the bridge. He was in no hurry to deal with fish with sharp teeth.

"So, how many types of pokémon do you think there are in Hyrule?" he asked, crossing the remainder of the bridge and setting foot in Hyrule Field for the first time.

"I don't know for sure, but my father said there are probably a few hundred, at least," Zelda said. "I overheard Sage Saria say that some had moved into the Forest Temple. Maybe there's some in each temple."

"That would be neat," Link said, thinking. "We could be like the Hero of Time, adventuring through the temples, but for pokémon."

"That would be fun," Zelda agreed. "I think we would need the sages' permission first, though." Link nodded. That made sense.

The small talk continued for a time, when suddenly, they heard a shout from under a nearby tree. "Hey you guys! Are you trainers?!"

Zelda looked over in that direction. There was a boy about their age watching them, his hat on backwards, casually tossing a pokeball into the air and catching it on its way down. He stood in front of a sign, just slightly legible at this distance, that read, "Nigel P. Christian: Rival for Hire".

"Hah, you looked me in the eye!" the kid shouted. "That means we have to battle!"

"No I didn't, and no it doesn't," Zelda shouted back.

"Go, Rattata!" was his response, releasing his pokemon. Zelda sighed, but kept walking. Link heard the other boy tell his pokemon, "Use Tackle!" Link jumped between Zelda and the purple rat just in time to block the pokemon's attack. The thing was laughably weak, barely shifting Link, but this was enough to raise Zelda's ire.

"What was that for?!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, loud enough to make Link's ears ring.

"If you don't call your pokemon out, Rattata will attack you!" the kid said, laughing. "He'll knock you out, and then bring me my prize money. You could just make this easier by giving up and giving me some cash now, or we could have a real battle. Your choice." Link couldn't see Zelda's face through the wraps, but he knew she was steaming. She pulled out Tatl's pokeball, quickly calling out the Ralts.

"Tatl, hit it with Confusion," she said fiercely. Link knew she meant business, and quickly stepped out of the way of the attack. The energy flew into Rattata's face, and the pokemon was knocked backwards, fainting almost immediately.

"Whoa, a critical hit!" the boy exclaimed, recalling his pokemon. "I guess I didn't stand a chance." He approached Link. "Are you ok?" he asked. "I know Rattata can be strong when he wants to. I'm Nigel, by the way, like it says on the sign."

Link felt his side, where the pokemon hit him. "I'm fine," he whispered. "Probably won't even bruise." "Sheik?" he asked out loud, looking at his friend.

She slapped Nigel. "Don't ever attack a person with a pokemon again," she told him. "You got lucky; we didn't get hurt, so nobody needs to know about this. If it happens again, I'm going to get the guards involved, understand?"

He blanched at that threat. "Gotcha. I mean, yes miss." He held out a few rupees. "Here's the money I was told to give to whoever beat me."

Zelda took the gems, turned, and started to walk away. Link looked at Nigel, pitying the kid's pokemon. "Go train Rattata some," he said quietly. "He's not as powerful as you think he is." After that, he left the boy, running to catch up to Zelda, who had returned Tatl to her ball.

Once they were out of Nigel's earshot, Link started talking once again. "You know, that guy was probably a brand new trainer, just like us. He might not have known better."

Zelda sighed once again. "Yeah, you might be right." She looked back, biting her bottom lip, but continued toward Lake Hylia. "If we ever see him again, I'll apologize." She shook her head. "Seriously, though, how does he expect to win battles if he attacks people? Don't pokemon need to beat other pokemon to grow?"

"That's what I heard, too," Link concurred. Changing the subject, he asked, "Weren't there supposed to be fences on the path to the lake? We have to be getting close, but I haven't seen any."

Zelda pulled out a piece of paper from one of her pockets. Unfolding it, she revealed it as a map. "Impa said that this isn't perfectly accurate, but I'm not seeing any fences except by Lon Lon Ranch. If we've been following this path correctly, then you're right; we're nearly there." She looked up, checking for landmarks.

"So, that tree must have been where we met Nigel," Zelda said, pointing at a tree directly south of the ranch on the map, "and here's the little valley leading to the lake." She pointed ahead of them. "That must be that dip in the hills there." She looked at the sky. "You know what… if we hurry, we might be able to see dawn from the lakeside."

"What are we waiting for, then?" Link asked, taking off running. "I'll race you there!"


	4. Chapter 4

It was still dark when the two got to the lakeside. Link arrived first, though Zelda was close on his heels; he had intentionally gone slower than normal.

"You slowed down," Zelda observed, panting heavily, hands on her knees.

"Of course I did," Link said, barely breathing hard. "I didn't want to leave you behind."

Zelda rested her hand on his shoulder as she straightened up, giving him a slight push. "You're a good friend. You know that?" He simply smiled.

"Do you think the view would be better from that bridge?" Link asked, pointing towards a rope bridge that ran out from the shore to an island.

"Yeah, that looks like a good spot."

-o-

The two young trainers sat on the bridge, their pokémon by their sides, and watched as the sun crested the surrounding hills. The light shone down on them, casting deep shadows across the lake. A slight breeze blew, just enough to cause ripples in the water below. The tiny waves lapping at the shore, and the other disturbances on the surface, started to sparkle as the sun climbed higher.

As they took in the view, marveling at how clear the water was, a Dragonair leapt out of the lake and over their heads, then gracefully dove back down into the water before swimming out to the larger island, which housed the Water Temple. It swam out of view, but it had been a very memorable moment in an almost perfectly idyllic scene.

"Wow," Zelda said eventually, patting Tatl on the head. "I'm so glad we were able to see this. It's beautiful." Link, on the other hand, was simply speechless. He had never imagined anything so breathtaking, and to share it with his best friend… no, his three best friends, was even better.

Of course, no good thing could last forever. In this case, the moment ended as the bridge shook slightly, signaling another person's arrival. Link looked further down the bridge, away from shore, and saw a welcome, if slightly annoying, sight. Ruto, Queen of the Zoras and Sage of Water, quickly closed the distance and sat down next to the kids. There were six pokeballs around her waist, Link noticed.

"Good morning, brave one," Zelda greeted her. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Ah, Princess, I am simply enjoying the view, same as you." When met with an incredulous stare, she explained, "I know your disguise. It doesn't fool me like it fooled the Dark King all those years ago." Ruto smiled. "I'm sure most hyruleans know, too. Feel free to keep it on, but do know it's not as effective as you would like."

Zelda thought for a minute, then began to remove her headwraps. As she did this, Link asked, "Your Majesty, are you a trainer too?"

Ruto's smile widened. "Of course. All of the sages are sworn defenders of the kingdom, and this is but one way we carry out our duty." She gazed out over the lake. "Pokémon in Hyrule used to be much more powerful, and much more aggressive, as Ganon's evil faded. It was important we protected the people from them then. These days, you have to actually search for them in the wild."

"Things have been changing recently, then," came a new voice from the near end of the bridge.

Without looking, Ruto greeted the man. "Good morning, Professor Deku. What do you mean by that?" Link looked, and saw a kid dressed just like he was. The Professor must be Kokiri, he reasoned.

Zelda whispered to him, "That's one of Sage Saria's friends. It's tradition for pokémon professors to name themselves after trees, so he chose the mightiest tree in the kingdom."

"Well, I've been abroad recently in order to get my certification," the professor explained, "so I'm not sure what it been like for the past few years. However, it seems that pokémon around here are getting stronger day by day." He noticed Zelda's confusion, and headed off her question. "Kokiri are able to travel anywhere, as long as they are protected; the Great Deku Tree was just one of many scions of nature capable of this protection. Another, Shaymin, travelled with me in Sinnoh while I studied."

Zelda thanked him, then remembered something important. Nudging Link, she said, "Sage Raru said he borrowed two of your pokémon, and asked us to bring them back." Both children held out the balls that held the fainted pokémon.

The professor took the balls. "Thank you. I guess he wanted to test your battling abilities?" Zelda nodded. "Well, in that case, I should probably teach you how to catch wild pokémon. Follow me."

He walked into the nearest patch of tall grass, Link, Zelda, and their Ralts close behind. "Now, the thing to remember about wild pokémon is that each one has a specific habitat. Be it a lake, a cave, or just tall grass like this, you'll never find a wild pokémon outside of their area." Suddenly, a patch of grass flattened out, and a tiny, blue and red bird hopped into it. "Ah, a Taillow, that'll do. Normally you would want to rough it up a bit, but I didn't bring any healthy pokemon with me. So, once you've hurt it a bit, just throw a pokeball at the pokemon, like so." He demonstrated, lightly tossing an empty pokeball at the bird. A beam of light enveloped the pokemon and pulled it into the ball, which shook three times before the professor picked it up. Once he did, the grass went back to normal.

"The ball will shake three times, like that, before it locks. Once it does, that pokemon is caught. The pokemon can break out while it's still shaking. Pretty simple." He handed five empty balls to each of the children. "I expect you'll want to try it out too, right?"

Link looked at Zelda. "Ladies first," he said, patting her shoulder for encouragement.

Zelda bit back a retort, walked into the grass, and almost immediately encountered a wild pokemon. In fact, she almost stepped on it before the grass flattened.

"That's a Slakoth," Professor Deku told her. "They're rather slow, but can get really powerful down the line."

Tatl stood between the wild pokemon and Zelda, who ordered her to attack with Confusion. The attack hit, and the Slakoth retaliated. It got up close and raked its claws along Tatl's chest, causing the Ralts to move backward some. Both stood in position afterwards, waiting for Zelda's action.

She threw a pokeball at the Slakoth, watching as it shook once, twice, then a third time, then finally clicked shut.


	5. Chapter 5

After much congratulations, a few more battles with wild pokémon, and Link's utter failure to catch an Eevee in four attempts before getting frustrated and knocking it out, the professor invited the children into his home for tea.

As he served both trainers and their pokemon, and splashed some on his fainted pokémon, he began to explain more about his job. "My area of expertise, surprising or not, is how Hyrule's magic is affecting the pokémon that live here. For example, I've discovered that pokémon originating from this kingdom grow more powerful at a faster rate than their foreign brethren. The exact difference is something I've yet to determine, but I'm sure I'll find it soon."

"That's exciting to hear," Zelda replied. "Anything else?"

"Well… not much," he admitted. "I have found that the Roselia evolutionary line grow petals that make excellent tea. In fact, it restores health in much the same way that a red potion would." Link looked at the teapot, noticing a few red flower petals floating in the remaining liquid.

Professor Deku looked out the window. "I think it's about time you two headed out. It's almost noon."

Both kids finished their tea, thanked him once again, and left the lakeside home. Ruto had long since swam away, so they talked between themselves about their next destination. Eventually, they decided to go to Kakariko Village. Link was swayed by Zelda's desire to visit her mother's grave.

It wasn't long after they set out, however, that both of them started yawning. Not wanting to fall asleep in the middle of Hyrule Field, Zelda pulled out her map.

She pointed to a nearby path into a forest. "That must be Kokiri Forest," she told Link. "They might not be the most welcoming bunch, but I doubt they would turn away the princess and her companions. We should be able to find a bed there." Zelda led the way, Link close behind. They had hardly stepped foot into the forest, however, before one of the Kokiri stopped them on the bridge.

"Hey, you two!" he exclaimed. "I'm not allowed to let anyone into the village without a test. Not even Sage Impa's friends, and definitely not a Hylian kid in Kokiri garb."

"What type of test?" Zelda asked.

"What else? A pokemon battle." The guard rolled his eyes. "It should be obvious. Strong pokemon have been appearing in the village, I have to make sure you can defend yourselves." He took a pair of pokeballs off his belt. "You will battle Oddish," he said, pointing to Link and releasing the pokemon, "and then you'll battle Bellsprout," pointing at Zelda.

Link called out Tael, pointed at the bulbous leafy pokemon, and watched as his Ralts attacked. He didn't feel like talking here, so he was glad Tael understood him. The Oddish took a step back as the orb of energy landed, then launched itself at Tael, latching onto him and slurping. When it finished, it bounced back to its trainer, looking slightly revitalized. Tael looked back at Link, who nodded, then attacked again, knocking his opponent down. The Oddish didn't get back up, so the guard recalled it.

As Link called back Tael, Zelda and the guard sent out their pokemon. Their battle was over just as quickly, the only difference being Bellsprout's attack: it lashed out at Tatl, slapping her with one of its vine-like arms.

As the guard returned Bellsprout to its ball, he congratulated the two rookie trainers. "That should be good," he said. "Sage Saria's in her house, I think. I guess it would be smart to go say hello." He then tossed them each a sack of rupees before leaning back against one of the supports, obviously content to while away the rest of the morning there.

Link nodded and Zelda audibly thanked the guard before they entered the village proper. Looking around, it was clear that this place was nothing like the palace. There were tree-stump houses, grass grew mostly wild, and there were random rocks strewn along the edges of the singular path. A signpost stood in the middle of the village, indicating a shop, the path to the Great Deku Sapling, and Saria's house. The two followed the path to the Sage's home; Zelda knocked on the doorframe, unable to see Saria with a quick glance inside.

"Up here, Your Highness!" came a shout from the top of the house. Link looked up, quickly noticing the Sage's feet dangling over the edge of the roof. He and Zelda climbed up the nearby ramp to find Saria pouring some water out of a flask.

"I watched you as you battled Mido," she explained. "Well handled." She handed each of the tired kids a small cup of water. Link noticed it was sparkling, and looked up questioningly.

"It's special forest water," Saria said. "It restores energy. One cup is as good as a good night's sleep. I guessed you might need some; you two looked so eager to start your journey at the ceremony yesterday. Did you even sleep at all since then?" Link and Zelda shook their heads, and she sighed. "Kids," she muttered to herself.

Link lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip. There was no taste, but more of a feeling. A tingling started in his tongue, then slowly spread through his body. The more he drank, the stronger the feeling got, gently relieving his exhaustion and minor aches. A fog lifted from his mind, one he wasn't even aware had set in. As he finished the drink, he looked around. Everything looked more vibrant, every sound clearer. A gentle breeze started to wind its way through the village, carrying the scent of freshly fallen leaves. Zelda laughed, having noticed the same things. It wasn't until they looked at Saria did they notice her quizzical look.

"Hmm. That might have sat with the Deku Tree for a little too long," Saria said, slight displeasure now creeping its way onto her face. She looked at the children. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave the village for a few hours, I need to keep an eye on you. This water... well, the magic within can be rather addictive. It heightens your senses for a time, but once that wears off, it's akin to a sugar crash. I'm reasonably confident that you'll be fine, but I need to know for certain."

As Link as Zelda looked at each other, Saria rested her hands on their shoulders. "In the meantime, feel free to explore the village. I'm sure there's some pokemon around to battle." She smiled and added, "If you want, I'll even grant you a match myself."


	6. Chapter 6

Link and Zelda went different directions after climbing down from Saria's home. While Zelda went to the shop, Link started looking for wild pokemon in the grass near the village entrance.

"Not having much luck there, are ya?" one of the Kokiri asked from a ledge above after a few minutes of fruitless searching. Link shook his head, keenly aware of the attention. Suddenly, a large flower bud started to move more than the breeze should have allowed. First it swayed, then it shook, then finally popped out of the ground and started moving toward Link, who called out Tael in preparation for battle.

"Ooh, a Budew! Good luck kid, you might need it," the Kokiri said. Link wasn't sure if that was encouragement or heckling, but he quickly put that out of his mind.

The grass around him and the two pokemon flattened, and Budew quickly latched onto Tael, sucking for all it was worth. Tael responded by launching a Confusion. That failed to knock the sprout off, so Link told him to hit it again, readying his last pokeball from Professor Deku. This second attack threw the wild pokemon off. As it weakly rocked back onto its feet, Link tossed the pokeball, hoping his luck was better here than at the lakeside. It was; the pokemon inside barely put up a fight, hardly wiggling the pokeball before it clicked shut.

"Heh, good job, kid," the onlooker told Link as he returned Tael to his pokeball. "I bet my brother taught you how to do that." When Link looked at him, confused, the Kokiri added, "I'm Professor Deku's brother. We used to be called the Know-it-all Brothers." Link rolled his eyes. "Hey, don't give me that. I bet you don't even know where you can heal your pokemon."

Link thought for a second. That much was true, and both Tael and his new Budew had looked pretty beat up. He looked back up at the Kokiri and quietly asked him to show the way.

"Hmm. Well, I can't fault you for being shy, kid." The Kokiri laughed, then pointed across the stream. "In the shop there's a side counter. If you ask nicely, the girl there will restore your pokemon to full fighting shape. She uses some fancy, non-hyrulean tech that my brother brought back from Sinnoh."

Link thanked him and walked over to the shop, careful to use the stepping stones so as to not disturb any pokemon in the water. Zelda met him at the entrance, carrying a shield-shaped piece of bark.

"Hey, Link, look what I bought!" Zelda happily exclaimed. "It's a traditional deku shield, the same kind the Hero of Time used as a kid. The shopkeep said that it'll reduce the damage pokemon take from certain attacks."

Link nodded. "That could be useful. But wouldn't it burn up easily?"

"Well, yeah, but it's cheap. Can't hurt to have one, right?" Zelda glanced to Link's belt. "Oh, you caught a pokemon, right? Congratulations."

Link smiled proudly. "Both of mine need healing. Did you get yours fixed up?"

Zelda laughed. "Of course. What kind of trainer wouldn't?"

Shrugging, Link walked inside. He approached the smaller counter in the side of the shop, and waved to get the Kokiri girl's attention. "Excuse me," he began, "my pokemon seem a little hurt. Can you heal them, please?" He gently placed the two balls on the counter.

The girl smiled. "Of course! That's what I'm here for." She took the pokeballs and placed them on a strange machine behind her. Pressing a button, she said, "Your pokemon are pretty exhausted, but fine besides that. This'll be just a minute."

Link thanked her, then turned to look at the main shop's stock. They had pokeballs, deku shields, and healing potions sitting on the shelves.

The shopkeeper looked up at Link. "You with the other girl who was just in here?" Link nodded, and the Kokiri sighed. "Well, I guess I should explain things to you too. Each town has a shop and pokecenter. Each shop sells mostly the same things, though there are a few exclusives. We have more than what you see in stock, but you'll need to earn that stuff. The more respected you are, the more you can buy. Any questions?"

Link shook his head. He pulled out his rupee pouch and looked inside. "How many pokeballs can twenty rupees buy?" he asked, pulling out a red gem.

"Two rupees apiece, but every ten comes with a free premier ball as a bonus." Link laid the money on the counter, and the shopkeeper handed him eleven balls, one of which was mostly white.

As Link put his purchase in his pockets, the girl staffing the healing machine called out to him. "You're all good to go," she explained. When Link asked how much it would cost, she chuckled. "Oh, healing services are free. It wouldn't do to have a trainer come in with gravely injured pokemon and turn them away, right? Come back any time, we're always open."

Link agreed, thanked the girl, and left the store. As he walked over to Zelda, who was battling a Poliwag that had wandered out of the river, he thought about battling Saria. She would be using strong pokemon, most likely, but not anything unbeatable. At least, he hoped not.

As Tatl finished off the Poliwag, Zelda looked up at Link. "What's on your mind?" she asked.

"Sage Saria's team," Link answered. "I think we should battle her. That's how trainers and pokemon grow stronger, right?" Zelda nodded. "The thing is, we don't know what pokemon she'll use."

"Well," Zelda responded, "My father once said that, for challengers that 'truly seek to develop the bonds between them and their pokemon', the Sages are to use pokemon from their domain, and match their strength to the challenger."

Link put his hand to his chin, thinking about what that meant. "So, pokemon from the forest, and not overly strong. I bet she knows what pokemon we have, so maybe we should just train some more. Not just Tatl and Tael, but the pokemon we caught as well."

"Sounds like a plan."


	7. Chapter 7

While Zelda was content to wander around the main part of the village, Link was determined to face the strongest opponent he could. He asked the Kokiri that told him about the pokecenter, who mentioned that the strongest pokemon in the village were in the Deku Tree's grove.

"You aren't allowed back there without Saria accompanying you, though, so the next best bet is through the tunnel in the training yard. Be careful, though; some Pikachu have been spotted back there, along with some evolved bug-types. Don't get yourself hurt."

Link thanked him again, then found and crawled through the tunnel he was told about. As he exited on the other side, he noticed a little spark in the nearby patch of grass. He called out Budew, eager to see how it performed. The grass flattened, and the battle with the Pikachu was on.

As Budew ran towards the electric rodent, it loosed a jolt of power. This did little to phase the plant pokemon, which latched on and began to drain the Pikachu's energy. The mouse kept zapping Budew, but each jolt was weaker than the one before. Eventually, it stopped and fell to the ground, defeated. Budew hopped off and wobbled back over to Link, obviously still reeling from the eight shocks the Pikachu had delivered. Link recalled it, noticing that Budew looked stronger for its efforts. He looked back up, noticing that something on the ground was shining and the Pikachu was no longer there. Curious, he picked up what turned out to be a blue rupee.

"Perhaps wild pokemon drop money," he spoke to himself, placing the rupee in his pouch. It didn't surprise him, as many people had told stories of finding rupees in strange places. He figured it would be a nice little bonus to training his pokemon. He called out Tael and resumed looking for opponents.

Just two wild pokemon later, Tael was limping, so Link returned to the pokecenter, satisfied with both the training his pokemon did and the stuff he had found. While he was at the shop, he spent the rest of his rupees on a shield. His Ralts seemed to be taking quite a beating, so anything that could help with that, in his mind, was a worthwhile purchase. Zelda came in behind him to get her pokemon healed, too.

As Link reclaimed his pokemon, the operator told him, "It seems your Budew has picked up some new moves. It battled a Pikachu, right?" Link nodded. "I thought so. It looks like its pollen now has the ability to paralyse foes. That means that they will be much slower, and may not be able to attack at all. It'll also make wild pokemon easier to catch."

"Well, that'll be useful," Zelda said as her pokemon were being restored. "You should use that the next battle we have." Link agreed.

"You're going to battle Saria soon, right?" the operator asked. "I'm not supposed to tell you what she's battling with, but I can tell you it'll be a tough battle."

Link thanked her, and Zelda asked, "Is there anything else we should know?"

The operator thought for a few seconds, clearly debating something with herself. "You know what… there is something else in the village that might help your battle go more smoothly. I can't tell you what or where it is, only that it's hidden from prying eyes." Zelda tried to get more information, but the operator was adamant. "I'm not allowed to tell you more. It's hidden somewhere you can find it, but you'll need to do that yourselves. I'm only telling you two this because you're from the castle." The two young trainers left the shop after that.

"Where do you think this thing could be?" Zelda asked.

"Well, there's the place I was training, behind the training grounds. I don't think I saw all of that," Link thought aloud. "It could also be on a high ledge."

"Good thought," Zelda agreed. "I'll check around here. If it's on a ledge, I might be able to see it from up there." She pointed at a pillar in the middle of the village. "You go back to where you were, I'll look from there."

They parted ways, wasting no time. Link quickly crawled through the tunnel again, and noticed a well-trodden path that he hadn't taken before. He followed it a short distance, and around a bend, until he saw a treasure chest sitting on a stump. He checked around him for traps, but found none. Opening the chest carefully, he saw a box inside. It was inscribed with the words, "Technical Machine 10: Hidden Power". Link picked it up, but suddenly had the creeping sensation of being watched run down his neck.

He turned around, but there was nobody around. He took a step off the stump and looked up at the trees. There were no Kokiri, just an elderly-looking Noctowl. That, he thought, was strange; Noctowl was normally nocturnal. It wasn't until it hooted at him in a strange twist of Hyrulean did he realize that this is what was watching him.

"Do you know what you hold, boy?" the owl asked. Link shook his head. "That is a technical machine, a portable move tutor for pokemon. That one in particular is special, as the move it teaches depends on the learner. Used wisely, it is a move of great power. Hoo… the Kokiri hold a stash of them, waiting for worthy trainers to claim one apiece. I advise you to think carefully about using it." At that, the owl flew away, dropping a feather to the ground. Link picked that up too, then went to find Zelda.


	8. Chapter 8

Zelda wasn't hard to find. She was waiting for Link at the other end of the tunnel in the training grounds. Before she could ask, he showed her the box he had found and explained what the Noctowl had said.

"I know it sounds crazy, a talking Noctowl, but that's what it was."

Zelda gave him a look that conveyed both doubt and concern in equal quantities. "I think Sage Saria should take a look at you, just to be sure," she said. Link couldn't come up with a good argument, so they walked over to the entrance to the Deku Tree's grove, where Saria was sitting on a stump, waiting for them.

Zelda explained the situation, and the Sage laughed. "Oh, Link's not going crazy, and that water from earlier isn't having any adverse effects on you. I only told you it might so that you wouldn't go running off without being prepared for the journey ahead. As for that owl, that was good old Kaepora Gaebora, a servant of the goddesses. He keeps watch over people of note in Hyrule. You must be truly special to have caught his eye. It's said his feathers make pokemon that hold them slightly more powerful."

Link breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "How do I use a technical machine?" He held out the box from earlier.

"Ah, you found it, then," Saria observed. "Each pokemon can learn up to four different moves to use in battle. Tms, as most call them, overwrite one of those to teach it a new move. If I may…"

She took the machine from Link and pressed a button on the front. That opened the box, revealing a glass panel and a pokeball-sized divot. "You place the pokeball, with the pokemon still inside, in the dent here, then select which move you want to replace on the screen up top," she said, pointing to each in turn. "The background of the screen will show what type the move you're teaching is. For example, a purple background would be poison, which hits grass-type pokemon really hard, but won't even scratch a steel-type." She handed the box back to Link.

"Thank you, youthful one," Zelda said. "Earlier, you mentioned a battle. Is that offer still valid?"

"Of course," Saria assured them. "I'll wait for you by the Deku Tree. Don't be too long, ok?"

Both children agreed, Saria left, and Link took Tael's pokeball off his belt. Placing it in the tm, he was surprised to see the screen light up green, like the grass around him. Trying Budew, it lit up pale blue, a clear signal that it would be an ice type attack. He decided to replace Water Sport, a move that said it would reduce fire-type damage. That wouldn't be helpful anytime soon, he thought. Pressing the move on the screen caused the entire box to start glowing, lights spiraling from the outside to the pokeball in the middle. After a few seconds of this, the screen updated, now showing Hidden Power as an available attack. Removing the pokeball and closing the tm, Link made a few final preparations, giving the shield he purchased to Tael and placing the feather from Kaepora in Budew's mouth.

He and Zelda took off after Saria, eager to get the battle underway. They found her sitting on one of the Deku Tree's roots. The tree itself was about twenty feet tall, dwarfing the visitors to its grove. Sitting next to Saria was a Chikorita, and roosting on a low-hanging branch above was a Starly.

"You two really couldn't wait, right?" Saria called out to them. "That's good. I like to see the energy of youth." She hopped off the root, and the pokemon followed. "Well then, let me explain the rules of this battle. It will be a double battle. You each will send out one pokemon at a time, while I'll have two out. You win if you knock out all three of my pokemon, whereas I win should you run out of pokemon. Does that sound fair?" Link and Zelda both nodded their assent, so Saria clapped her hands together. "Then, in the shadow of the Deku Tree, let the battle begin!"

Link called out Budew to start, while Zelda called Slakoth. Opposite them were the Starly and Chikorita.

"Budew, attack Starly with Hidden Power!" Link shouted, too excited by battling a Sage to be shy anymore.

"Starly, counter with Wing Attack." Saria said calmly. "Chikorita, use Poison Powder on Slakoth."

"Slakoth, scratch Chikorita." Zelda said just as calmly, as if resigning herself to the fact that Slakoth wouldn't be doing much.

Starly flew towards Budew, but the plant was faster. Orbs of pale blue light emanated from Budew's body, then shot towards the bird. The light enveloped Starly, pulling it to the ground. When it faded, the bird's wings were tipped with frost, and Starly was clearly out of the fight. Meanwhile, Chikorita spread a foul-looking cloud of dust over Slakoth, who responded with a half-hearted scratch.

Saria pulled out two pokeballs and returned Starly to one of them. She threw the other into the field, releasing a pokemon Link had never seen before. "Heracross is the most powerful pokemon you can find in the village area," she explained, smiling. "You may have beaten Starly easily, but this boy won't go down without a fight." She pointed at Slakoth. "Heracross, use Horn Attack! Chikorita, Razor Leaf!"

"Budew, use Hidden Power on Chikorita!" Link responded. Zelda simply sighed, knowing that no matter the order, Slakoth wouldn't do anything for now.

Heracross delivered a nasty strike on Slakoth, while Chikorita grabbed a pair of leaves from the Deku Tree's lower branches. It was slowed down slightly by the light from Hidden Power, but still managed to fling the leaves at its opponents. When they connected, Slakoth's head hit the dirt, clearly having fainted, while Budew was hardly phased. Zelda recalled Slakoth and brought out Tatl, who was holding the deku shield she had purchased.

"Budew, use Hidden Power again!" Link cried.

"Oh, no, you won't. Heracross, Aerial Ace!" Saria ordered. "Chikorita, poison that Ralts!"

"Tatl, retaliate with Growl!" Zelda exclaimed, finally getting into the flow of the battle.

Heracross flew a few circles around Budew, then delivered a quick punch from behind, knocking the plant on its face and out of the battle. Chikorita spread the cloud of dust again, but Tatl's horns glowed purple, and Chikorita started to cough. Tatl then let out a cute noise that was halfway between a growl and a baby's gurgling laugh. Link collected Budew and sent out Tael, hoping that the siblings could take down Saria's pokemon.

"Tael, Confusion on Chikorita!"

"Heracross, Night Slash, on the new Ralts! Chikorita, Tackle!"

"Tatl, Confusion Heracross!"

Heracross readied a punch, this one coating his fist in shadow. His attack connected with Tael slightly before Chikorita's, the combined power of which split the shield Tael was holding. Link's Ralts responded with an orb of psychic power, knocking Chikorita back. Tatl let loose a second orb, and Chikorita passed out from the poison damage. Saria returned the fainted pokemon to its ball, then turned back to the battle.

Both rookie trainers ordered a Confusion, while the Sage called for an Aerial Ace at Tael. Heracross knocked Tael end-over-end into Link's boots, then was blindsided by Tatl's attack.

As Link recalled Tael, Saria shouted, "Heracross, let's finish this! Night Slash!" Heracross, however, was obviously dazed by the two Confusion attacks. It missed Tatl completely, rushing past her and straight into a tree, where its horn got lodged. Tatl attacked once again, this orb slightly bigger than the two before. It drove Heracross further into the tree, where it had clearly taken enough damage. Heracross passed out, and Saria began to laugh.

"Wow," she said through her laughter. "I didn't expect that! Heracross getting confused, then a critical hit? Hah, that was well won!" She wiped a tear from her eye and returned Heracross to his ball. "Good job, both of you. I will say, though, that you got lucky. Don't rely on that too heavily." She reached into a pouch on her hip, pulling out two green medallions. She held these out to the children. "Take these, with my gratitude for a great battle. They're replicas of the medallion that the Hero of Time used to gain access to the Dark King's castle."

As Link and Zelda took the medallions, a stiff breeze blew through the grove. Saria looked at the Deku Tree as a branch shook, bark groaned, and leaves trembled. She approached the Tree and dug under one of its roots, uncovering a gleaming rock. "The Deku Tree says this is for you, Link," she explained, placing it in his bag. "It's a Dawn Stone, a special rock with the power to evolve certain pokemon." She looked at Link and Zelda. "You look just like your namesakes. Good luck out there. Oh, and don't call me Sage anymore, just Saria; you've earned that."


	9. Chapter 9

Leaving the forest, a free replacement shield in Link's pouch, the children quickly made their way north to Kakariko Town. While their journey was short and uneventful, Link couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

As they climbed the stairs into town, a familiar voice called out to them from the shop in the center of town. "Link!" came the voice, which Link quickly recognized as his grandfather's. The children waved, curious as to what the castle smith was doing away from his workshop. Dodging a Mudsdale-drawn cart, Link and Zelda ran up the hill.

Link hugged his grandfather once he reached him, Zelda slightly behind. "Good day, Master Smith," Zelda greeted him. "What business do you have in Kakariko?"

The smith laughed. "I could ask the same of you kids. I'm meeting a delivery goron halfway today instead of making him go all the way to the castle. Ever since you two ran off, things have been different in the castle. Less hectic." He smiled and added, "The king was concerned for a while, but Sage Impa talked him down. I'm sure he's still worried, but she's got the situation well in hand."

"That's good to hear," Zelda said with a sigh of relief. "We came to pay our respects to my mother."

"That's good," the smith replied. "It's important to remember where you came from. Still, you shouldn't lose sight of where you're going." When he saw the kids' puzzled looks, his smile lessened a bit. "You don't know what you're doing this for, do you?" When Zelda looked down, and Link shook his head, old man said, "Ah, don't worry about it. You two are still young, you'll figure it out."

"Thank you, Master Smith," Zelda said. "That means a lot." She pulled Link away from the store. "Come on, Link. I want to visit the graveyard during the day."

Link followed her through town, soon arriving at the graveyard gates. An ominous silence filled the air and sent shivers down the children's spines. Stepping through the old, rusty passageway, Zelda pointed out the largest tombstone, all the way in the back of the graveyard.

"That's where the royal crypts are," she said. "It's said that spirits might appear before those who venture all the way to the bottom."

"Do you think that's true?" Link asked as they climbed the hill towards the grave.

Before Zelda answered, a familiar voice told them, "There are many spirits here." Looking behind them, Link was not surprised to see Impa following them. "I cannot guarantee you'll meet with any family, but there will be ghosts of the departed, both hyrulean and pokemon, in those crypts." She passed the kids, stopping at the royal tombstone. "One of my many duties is to put these ghosts back to rest." She looked down at the rookie trainers. "You two are welcome to join me, if you wish."

"Your presence will be most welcomed," Zelda said.

"Very well," Impa said, a smile crossing her normally unreadable face. "Let's treat this as a test of how far you two have come as trainers. I will take care of anything you find yourselves unable to contend with, but the rest is up to you."

Zelda lead the way down the steps, Link close behind, with Impa a few steps behind him. They had barely entered the first room when a tile popped off the wall, slowly morphing into a mask, then floated towards the princess.

Zelda pulled a pokeball off of her belt, confidently shouting, "Take it out, Slakoth! Use Hidden Power."

Shadows gathered around the mask, forming a visible pokemon. It attempted to startle the sloth pokemon, but Slakoth either didn't notice or didn't care when it made contact, retaliating with dark purple orbs of energy that launched the opponent across the room.

"Interesting…" Impa muttered, just barely loud enough for Link to hear.

Slakoth repeated the attack, moving much faster than Zelda must have anticipated, having given no instruction. This managed to make the ghost retreat back into its mask, clearly defeated.

Zelda pulled out Slakoth's ball, but another wild pokemon appeared before she recalled it. This ghostly candle pokemon sent a chilling blue glow throughout the room, and a shiver down Link's spine. He reflexively reached for one of the pokeballs on his belt. Hearing nothing to the contrary from Impa, he sent out Budew.

Zelda nodded to thank him for the assistance, then called out her attack. Link did the same, ordering Stun Spore, a move that the pokemon center operator in the forest had told him Budew knew.

Budew opened the bud on its head slightly and charged towards the wild pokemon, shaking a fine powder over the battlefield. This was closely followed by Slakoth's Hidden Power attack. Combined, the two attacks shook the foe, which slowly retaliated by shaking an ember from its head-flame. This fell down towards Budew, catching the poor plant's face.

Budew let out a pained cry, and Link returned it to its pokeball. He knew fire was one of Budew's biggest weaknesses, so he sent out Tael instead. Not waiting for another attack from the wild ghost, he called for Confusion. Zelda, now used to Slakoth's faster pace, called for another Hidden Power.

The opponent did not respond to this pair of attacks, which Link chalked up to Stun Spore, but managed to shake off another ember at Tael the next round, its last attack before finally going down.

Impa put her hands on the youngsters' shoulders. "I think I've seen enough for now," she said. "You two, and your pokemon, fought bravely. However, that Litwick is hardly the strongest pokemon in these tombs. Go heal your pokemon, and train some more. I will take care of the rest here." Zelda shot her a pleading look, but Impa stood firm. "Link's pokemon are injured, your Ralts will be of little help here, and your Slakoth will tire after a time. It would be better to train elsewhere, for a while."

Link knew Impa was right. That Litwick had nearly knocked out both his pokemon; he didn't want to push his luck. Zelda sighed in defeat, and the two left Impa alone, climbing the steps back to the surface and walking back to the pokemon center in silence.

*Author's Note*

I apologize for any and all delay between chapters. My original intent was to have one 1,000-word chapter a week. Between life, lack of inspiration, and prep time for each chapter, I have fallen far behind that ideal. I am still working on this story, and intend to see it through to the end. Thank you to those who have stuck with me this far.


	10. Chapter 10

"So, where do we go next?" Zelda asked. The pair had taken a break after getting their pokemon healed, and went to get something to eat. Now full and well rested - both the trainers and their partners - Zelda's question was at the forefront of Link's mind. They could go visit the Gorons on Death Mountain, or the Zoras up the river. Perhaps they could return to Castle Town and ask Sage Raru for advice, though he had a feeling Zelda would shoot that suggestion down quickly.

"Hmm…" Link thought out loud. "We should get advice on how to raise pokemon well, right?" Zelda agreed, so he continued, "Where better than Lon Lon Ranch?"

Zelda thought about the suggestion for a second. "That is their job. I'm sure they could give us a few pointers." She smiled. "Alright, let's go to the ranch. Maybe we can find a few wild pokemon along the way."

-o-

It wasn't long after leaving the town that Zelda spotted something. A small blue pokemon with a fluffy tail scampered down a tree nearby, grabbed a seed off the ground, and started to nibble on it, watching the two trainers closely all the while.

She stopped, grabbing Tatl's pokeball. "That thing looks like it wants trouble," she told Link, who looked over at the wild pokemon. He didn't agree, but gave no argument as Zelda let Tatl out to fight. The Ralts prepared to launch a Confusion orb, but the foe was faster, slamming into Tatl in the blink of an eye. It caught the Confusion directly in the face in response, retreated a bit, and started to charge at Tatl once again. Tatl responded with another Confusion, taking another speedy hit in the process.

Zelda, apparently deciding that that was enough damage on Tatl, lined up directly behind her pokemon. As the opponent charged once again, fully focused on the Ralts, she smacked it with a pokeball, watched as it shook, then proudly picked up her new acquisition. Link applauded her briefly, then looked around for more pokemon. Not seeing any on land nearby, and not sure he could battle pokemon in the water, they continued to Lon Lon Ranch.

A welcoming tune drifted through the air as they passed under the arch at the farm's entrance, accompanied by the occasional "Moo" from the nearby barn. Link had visited the area once before, and knew that the Miltank inside were doing well. How could they not be, with Malon taking care of them?

Zelda knock on the door of the house, across from the barn. The music stopped, and Malon's voice called out, "Come in, the door's open!". As Link and Zelda walked inside, Malon gasped, dropping the rag she was holding in shock. She quickly recovered and apologized, explaining, "You look so much like… him," motioning at Link. "I thought for a second the Hero really came back to Hyrule." She took a breath, then told Zelda, "No offence, Your Highness. It's just… the Hero has a special place in my memories. Even more so than your mother."

Zelda laughed. "That's quite alright, Miss Malon. Everyone knows that you raised the Hero's horse."

Malon smiled. "Epona wasn't the only horse I raised, just the most famous. One of the older horses I was responsible for carried your mother to safety that one, horrible night. It was such a shame to have to let that thoroughbred loose, the one she escaped the castle on, but the Dark King was looking for the poor thing." She sighed. "I'm guessing you're not here for a history lesson, though. Especially not about that night. If I had to guess, you're here about raising pokemon, right?"

Link nodded. "How'd you guess?"

Malon laughed this time. "I was at your birthday party, and you have pokeballs on your belts. You would be surprised how many new trainers ask me for advice."

"That is a pretty big hint," Zelda said. "Do you have any tips?"

Malon shook her head. "Raising them's pretty simple. Be nice to them, and battle other pokemon. Not much to it."

"Oh," Zelda sighed.

"I can tell you a bit more about battling, though," Malon continued. "I'm pretty sure you already know about types, right?" Both kids nodded, so she continued, "Every attack has a type, too. If you use the right type attack against your opponent, you'll deal more damage. Also, each pokemon has its own strengths and weaknesses. Miltank, for example, can take physical hits really well, but has a hard time dealing damage to similar pokemon."

"That makes sense," Zelda said, rubbing her chin in thought. "How can you tell what a pokemon's good at, though? Is it just experience?"

"It used to be," Malon replied. "I've gotten some help recently, though." She pointed out the window at the horse track. "One of the foreign professors has been staying here for a while. He says he's studying 'pokemon population distribution'. He seems to really know his stuff. If you want to talk with him, he's out with the Mudsdale." She laughed at the quick "Thank you!" as the kids ran out the door, and started to sing again.

Outside in the pen, the children watched as the old man stroked one of the Mudsdale. They weren't very quiet getting to the fence, though; he soon turned around and beckoned to them.

"Isn't he beautiful?" the professor asked as Link and Zelda approached, patting a pack on the Mudsdale's back. "I'm Professor Oak, foremost authority on where pokemon live. It's nice to meet you two."

"It's nice to meet you, too, professor," Zelda said. "Miss Malon said you know a lot about pokemon."

Oak laughed. "Ah, I do agree. However, I find more and more often that I know less about pokemon than I think I do." Looking at Link's confused expression, he elaborated, "More is discovered about pokemon every day. However, the more I learn, the more mysteries tend to appear. That's why I usually ask for help from new trainers with my Pokedex project."

"Pokedex?" Zelda asked.

"Indeed. It's a nifty piece of technology I've developed over many years. A Pokedex records information about pokemon; where they can be found, their capabilities, some interesting notes, that kind of stuff. Like the pokemon it records, the Pokedex has gone through many evolutions over the years. Each individual one now links to a global database, making it much easier for trainers to learn about the pokemon they encounter. It can even analyze your pokemon, and tell you what moves it can use, what those moves will do, and how strong they'll be."

"Wow," Link said. "That sounds really helpful."

"Professor, where can we get a Pokedex?" Zelda asked.

"Why, Professor Deku is supposed to hand them out here. He lives down by the large lake, to the south."

"I think he forgot," Link said. "He didn't say anything about them when we visited him."

"Ah," Oak said, reaching into his back pocket. "He is rather forgetful. He did mention that his looks defy his age, so maybe it's just because he's old." He pulled out a red card, about a quarter-inch thick, and pressed a button. "Hmm… maybe I'm the old and forgetful one. I never sent the shipment to him!" He reached into the pack the Mudsdale was carrying and pulled out two more cards. "Here, this is the newest model. You can have them. Just promise that you'll use them well, ok?"

"Yes, sir!" the rookies said simultaneously.

Oak smiled, and showed them how to use the devices. "Oh, one more thing. I've heard of an ancient artifact used by a legendary hero that could reveal even the most hidden things. The old lady at the castle, the one with clothes like yours," he said to Zelda, "says it doesn't exist."

"Sage Impa?" Zelda asked. "I've heard those stories, but I was told the same thing."

"Yes, I think that was her name. Anyway, I've seen enough legends come to life before my very eyes to dismiss any story immediately. If it is real, and you end up finding it, it might be a great help to my research." The Mudsdale beside him snorted, and Oak looked back at it. "Either way that turns out, I have a feeling you two will end up doing great things."


End file.
